Robbie Basho - Songs of the Great Mystery: The Lost Vanguard Sessions (2020)

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Robbie Basho - Songs of the Great Mystery: The Lost Vanguard Sessions (2020)

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Robbie Basho was one of the big three American acoustic guitar innovators, John Fahey and Leo Kottke being the other two. Basho was the least commercially successful of the three, but his influence and reputation has steadily grown since his untimely death in 1986 at the age of 45. And with good reason; for Basho's deeply spiritual approach, intellectual rigor, and formal explorations (among his goals was the creation of a raga system for American music), present a deeply compelling, multi-faceted artist. Basho was actually a college friend of John Fahey, and his early recordings (like Kottke's) were for Fahey's Takoma label. Following Fahey 's move to Vanguard, Basho followed suit, and released Voice of the Eagle and Zarthus for the label in 1972 and 1974, respectively (his most commercially successful records were made for the Windham Hill label later in the decade). Flash forward to 2009: Vanguard contacted guitarist (and long-time Basho champion) Glenn Jones with the intriguing news that an unreleased Robbie Basho album session had recently been found, on a tape that, alas, lacked any real documentation. It was only 12 years later, when Jones, in the process of researching the liner notes for this release, discovered the truth: that not just the mysterious tape but both Voice of the Eagle and Zarthus were the result of one marathon session in 1971 or 1972 recorded in New York City by Vanguard staff engineer Jeffrey Zaraya. Songs of the Great Mystery'The Lost Vanguard Sessions, then, takes its place as the third of the triumvirat of albums Basho recorded for the label, and it is their equal in every way, exploring, in particular, some of the same Native American themes found on Voice of the Eagle. Some of the tunes showed up on later albums in much different forms; 1978's Visions of the Country featured 'A Day in the Life of Lemuria' (re-titled 'Leaf in the Wind') and 'Night Way,' and 'Laughing Thunder, Crawling Thunder' went through various permutations before appearing on 1981's Rainbow Thunder as 'Crashing Thunder.' But for Basho fans, the originals will probably steal the show, particularly 'Song of the Great Mystery,' which, unlike some of the songs here that showcase Basho's singing and piano-playing, brings to the fore his amazing six-string guitar technique and touch. Vanguard briefly put these sessions up digitally when they were located, but Real Gone Music's release represents the first time they have come out in any physical form (and the alternate take of 'A Day in the Life of Lemuria,' also discovered by Jones, has never been heard anywhere). Featuring remastering by Mike Milchner of SonicVision, Songs of the Great Mystery'The Lost Vanguard Sessions is a timely release heralding the release of a new documentary and an upcoming Basho box set. Available on CD or on a double-LP set pressed in clear vinyl limited to 1000 copies at Gotta Groove Records and housed inside a gatefold jacket. A great American artist, finally getting his due!

AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek
Fans and students of the steel string guitar know that Robbie Basho, along with John Fahey and Leo Kottke, is credited with co-founding the "American Primitive" school of guitar playing that has influenced countless guitarists. Basho was easily the least successful of the three, though it was his "American raga" system that paved the way for American Primitive. In the decades following his death in 1986 at age 45, his influence and reputation have grown. Basho's deeply spiritual approach, intellectual rigor, and formal musical explorations reveal him not as a primitive at all, but as a multi-faceted artist who drew inspiration from both East and West: He was influenced by East Indian raga, Native North American ceremonial chants, classical and Sufi music, and Appalachian folk and blues. Basho followed Fahey to Vanguard and issued a pair of truly unusual yet enduring outings that sank from view almost immediately after release due to their challenging contents, but they have been reissued and reconsidered since: 1972's The Voice of the Eagle (Basho called it "a Hopi raga") and 1974's Zarthus (its Persian overtones reflected the influence of guru Meher Baba). Those two albums were not the end of Basho's story with Vanguard. In 2009, the label contacted guitarist, Basho champion, and archivist Glenn Jones about an unreleased session found on a tape that lacked documentation. Vanguard did release it as a digital-only album called Indian II, but it vanished quickly. Twelve years later, Jones discovered that the mysterious tape had come from a single marathon New York recording session in 1971 or 1972 that had also netted Voice of the Eagle and Zarthus!

Songs of the Great Mystery is not comprised of second-rate tunes. Given its circumstances of origin, it's not surprising that some Native American themes found on The Voice of the Eagle are also manifested here. Some of these tunes offer a blueprint for appearances on Basho's later albums: "A Day in the Life of Lemuria" was retitled "Leaf in the Wind" for 1978's Visions of the Country; "Night Way" and "Laughing Thunder, Crawling Thunder" were partially recomposed for 1981's underrated Rainbow Thunder as "Crashing Thunder." The imposing "Thunder Sun" is a roaring, hyper-strummed paean to the land and sky. "Thunder Love" offers a romantic promise from a spiritual deity to a human being. Songs of the Great Mystery marks the first time these tracks have been issued in physical form. Furthermore, a bookend alternate version of "A Day in the Life of Lemuria" has never previously been heard. The set features track-by-track annotation and a liner essay from Jones, as well as rare photos and reproductions of Basho's handwritten notes that emerged from the tape box. Painstakingly remastered, it appears just as British director Liam Barker's celebrated documentary Voice of the Eagle: The Enigma of Robbie Basho becomes available for purchase. This is an essential release for the guitarist's fans as well as students of American raga, American Primitive, and avant-folk music.